Exploring Nostalgia
Summary Report
February – June 2009, Allenheads Contemporary Arts
Exploring Nostalgia was conceived by Hannah Marsden in February 2009 with support from Alan Smith and Helen Ratcliffe at Allenheads Contemporary Arts. The project was funded by the National Lottery through Awards for All and involved a variety of events responding to and involving the local community and environment.
While working in residence at ACA the previous year Hannah became increasingly interested in the traces of history and tradition evident in the village community and the relationship of these aspects to the present day. The project, a creative enquiry into the unstable notions of time and reality, was initiated in response to these interests. It sought to provoke thought about the interpretation, preservation and appropriation of the past in contemporary culture.
In February Claire Rowlands and Andrew Wilson were selected to work in residence at ACA to develop their practice and contribute to the programme. In May further artists were invited to join a creative workshop weekend to experience the locality, meet residents, test out ideas and discuss the potential for making art in this context. The programme evolved over 5 months to include a vintage cinema evening and book launch, a drawing workshop led by Andrew Wilson, an Open Studio with Claire Rowlands, an underground trip with Alan Smith, film clubs, retro nights and ongoing discussion and writing between the artists, residents and visitors.
The project culminated with The Allenheads Experience, an event and exhibition in June 2009 including drawing, sculpture, live performance, film and photography by Carole Luby, Sophie Michael, Claire Rowlands, Kate Stobbart, Steven Walker and Andrew Wilson. The event utilised selected locations around ACAshop including the Old School House, the Blacksmiths Shop, secluded huts, surrounding fell tops and Allenheads Inn. An after show party was held at the Old School House with a BBQ, live music from Laura Kid Kirby, Phil Ogg, Paul Wood and live visuals from Toby Lloyd.
The final event was extremely well attended. It was well publicised with posters and flyers distributed in the local area and Newcastle, invitations posted to ACA’s emailing lists and e-marketing through online social networking sites such as Facebook, WordPress and Yahoo group NewcastleGraft.
Overall the programme was well received by the audience with members of the community actively participating and demonstrating an interest throughout. The programme has brought notable benefits to the community:
• The activities in ACAshop have brought life to an otherwise unused space in the village centre.
• Workshops have provided activities for families during the holidays, encouraging the development of creative skills.
• Open Studios and the Exhibition have created a welcoming space for dialogue and exchange between visiting artists and all members of the community.
• The Retro Night, Film Clubs and AV Gig at the Old School House were social and cultural events that were highlights in the community social calendar and were enjoyed by people of all ages.
• These frequent events attracted increasing numbers of visitors to the village providing notable economic benefits for local businesses, the Allenheads Inn and the Hemmel Cafe.
• The project also provided professional development opportunities for the artists involved, offering practical experience in working in the context of a community, a platform for exhibition and wider exposure.
Several of the artists engaged directly with the local history, heritage, collections and landscape. The resulting dialogue between locals and artists revived an interest in these subjects and celebrated the locality. Events such as Vintage Allenheads and the Retro Night celebrated a shared history, promoted social bonds and increased community spirit. The Allenheads Archive DVD was produced from vintage local footage donated by the community and was screened at the cinema night which was extremely well attended. The appreciation of the event by the audience is reflected in the large numbers of requests for copies of the DVD. ACA has subsequently donated the archive to the Allenheads Trust to be shown in the Heritage Centre.
If you would like a copy of the Allenheads Archive DVD, please email acaheads@aol.com
Comments from the Visitor Book at The Allenheads Experience
“Loved the film!” Ann Clare
“An interesting collection of work around the idea. Especially liked the handmade books and the outside projection.” Steve Twinge
“Really enjoyable work. Deserves to stay longer on view.” anon
“Avery concise and intelligent show! Great to see.” Anon
If you visited the show and would like to share your comments please email acaheads@aol.com
